Russell George, Treasury inspector general for tax administration; Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller; and former IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman are sworn in before testifying before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.

Written by

Gregory Korte
USA TODAY

The Internal Revenue Service official who oversaw the agency's tax-exempt office will invoke her constitutional right against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions when she appears before Congress on Wednesday.

In a letter to the House Oversight Committee, Lois Lerner's attorney cited the criminal investigation into the IRS's decision to target Tea Party groups for greater scrutiny beginning in 2010.

"She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation, but under the circumstances, she has no choice but to take this course," attorney William Taylor wrote ...